On Angel's Wings: A Love Story

by Kate H.

I met my Angel on a cold day in January 1999, when she was four. It was truly love at first sight. I took one look at those big brown eyes and knew she was the one for me. She curled up right next to me on the couch as we talked about her routines and behaviors. She was perfect. A big couch potato that just loved to be love and give love in return. After my first whippet died, it took years before I could bear to get another. I had grown up with her, from aged seven to seventeen, and was very sad when she died. At some point though, I began to feel lonely, and, as I told my mother, I wanted a friend.

You see, I have been diagnosed with a mental illness for over a decade now. Part of this illness is the feeling of paranoia. I was terrified of everything. I was virtually housebound. I would only leave if I was with one of my parents. I was only taking one or two courses at my college, and my parents had to drive me there and wait for me, as I was too afraid to go alone. Sometimes they even sat in the back of the classroom for support. I also had very low self-confidence and was very self-conscious. I had been hospitalized numerous times and had been on every kind of medicine. Nothing seemed to help. I was constantly afraid and almost never talked to anyone outside of my family, let alone someone I did not know. So when I told my mother I wanted a friend – another whippet – she was excited and so was I.

I felt instant love for Angel (as I soon named her, for she truly is my little angel). It took some time to get used to our house and the other animals, but she adjusted very well. Although there are many other animals in the house, including four dogs, Angel was to be mine. I fed her and took her for walks. We were together almost all the time. She hardly ever left my side and tried to go with me every time I left the house with my parents. I began going out with her more frequently – into the neighborhood, to dog training classes, and to the pet store. People would come up to me and ask questions regarding Angel and I would be able to hold a conversation with them without being afraid.

My mother suggested that I get Angel certified as a service animal. At first I was apprehensive. What would people think about some girl walking into a building with a dog? People would stare, and the last thing I wanted was more attention drawn to myself. Slowly, though, the idea grew on me. I was able to handle leaving the house much better when Angel was with me. I was not so scared. I felt safe with her – the same kind of safe feeling I got when I was with my parents. Only now I could go out with just Angel and be more independent.

We found a group in Maryland, about three hours from home, that worked with people like me. A place called Dog Ears and Paws (DEAP) that would work with people who wanted a service animal for emotional purposes. We were accepted into the program and began training. Angel learned the basic commands and how to appropriately respond to people. Most of her job, though, she did by just being there for me. She was in training for several months, but was soon an official "medical assistance dog," as her vest reads.

Angel also performs another service. She can predict seizures. I have had a couple of mild seizures and each time she was able to warn me. Apparently research is now showing that some animals can actually smell the offset of the chemicals in one's body before a seizure. The animal gets upset, and as best they can, tries to warn the owner. Angel specifically begins to whine (which she almost never does) and pace in small circles. She also refuses to leave my sight. She has truly been a lifesaver for me.

I am so happy that I brought the little whippet Angel into my life. She has helped to turn it around for the better. I know someday she will be gone, but she will live on in my heart forever as the friend who changed my life. She has given me back my freedom and independence. She has shown me that the world is full of many kind people who care and are not trying to hurt one another. She has helped me live a better life, and I know that I can truly soar on Angel's wings.